Till Death Do Us Part
by Tariel
Summary: Paige is torn between the fear of falling in love and the fear of rejection. She can't tell her sisters, and she certainly can't tell Glenn, considering he's the object of her confusion. So what does she turn to? Magic! Please R&R!
1. Tense Morning

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed. wow, big shocker!  
  
AN: Hello! This is my first fic, so be patient, I know this chapter is short. Also, my sister helped with the writing. Hope you enjoy this and please review!!!  
  
Paige awoke with a start and groaned, pulling a pillow over her head. She hated mornings. It didn't make sense to get up early when there wasn't a possibility of truly being awake until noon anyway. Sighing, she resigned herself to getting up and rolled out of bed, feet hitting the floor with a loud thump. For a few minutes, she busied herself with attempting to find clothes for the day, then stopped to listen for the usual morning sounds. Nothing. That was strange. Quickly she abandoned her search for an outfit and checked her clock. 5:00? In the morning? That was next to impossible. She could only remember a handfull of times when she'd woken up that early, and none of them had been voluntary. Shrugging, she walked over to her nightstand and check her watch. Maybe the power had outed last night, restarted the clock at 12:00. Her watch read the same and she set it down in disgust. She didn't have to be up for two hours. Climbing back into bed, Paige forced herself to relax again. So much for that idea. She knew it would pointless to try and sleep and decided to take advantage of her early awakening. Hot water.  
  
"Morning sunshine," Paige chirped as Phoebe walked into the kitchen, "Coffee's ready if you want some."  
  
"Paige?!," Phoebe said, surprised, "What are you doing up? Unless..." Paige glanced up from her coffee to give Phoebe a questioning look. Phoebe smiled. "Unless you just got in, of course." Paige scoffed, looking slightly offended.  
  
"Believe it or not I can get up early without having a one night stand first," Paige shot back, her words breathed in a soft hiss.  
  
"I just thought...you know, with Glenn in town now and all...," Phoebe trailed, realizing she'd hit another nerve. Paige leaped from her chair, stalking towards the kitchen door.  
  
"For your information, we are just friends," she said icily over her shoulder.   
  
"Woah, Paige," she said, "Hey, look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed anything would happen."  
  
"No, it's ok. Sorry for freaking out on you. I'm just, not sure where Glenn and I stand," Paige interrupted. Phoebe smiled sympathetic, reaching out for a hug, which Paige accepted.  
  
"So, you are finally admitting that you want to be more than just friends?," Phoebe asked softly, barely containing a knowing smile.  
  
"No. That's just it. I don't want to be more than friends. I'm sure he doesn't...It's just sometimes, when he looks at me...," Paige stopped and sighed, as confused as ever.  
  
"Hey guys, what's up?," Piper asked, walking into the kitchen. She noticed the upset look on Paige's face and immediately began to worry.  
  
"Glenn?," she implored quietly. Paige looked shocked, then narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Did everyone get some kind of memo but me?," she demanded unhappily. Piper looked taken aback, then softened her expression.  
  
"We're sisters, Paige, we can tell when something, or in this case, someone, is bothering you," Piper answered. Paige felt like wiping the look off of her face with some kind of rude, flippant statement, but she knew Piper was right. It was bothering her. Instead of getting into a deep conversation, though, she struggled to lighten the mood.   
  
"Well, you guys act like we're talking about getting married, which, if I may point out, will never happen," she joked, smiling. Piper and Phoebe exchanged looks.  
  
"Right. Uh huh. That's what I thought too. Before I met Leo," Piper commented. Paige shook her head vigorously.  
  
"Nope. I am going to stay single and happy all my life," Paige insisted, laughing.  
  
"What's wrong with being un-single and happy?," Piper demanded. Phoebe gave her a wierd look. "I mean married, attached, coupled," she corrected to appease Phoebe.   
  
"Well for one, you have to worry about the bad habits you have getting on the other person's nerves. If you jsut have off and on relationships, you don't really have to wonder whether or not the way you flip your hairs gets on his nerves," Paige explained.  
  
"Paige, if the guy loves you, he would love the way you flip your hair," Phoebe pointed out. Paige sighed and rolled her eyes.  
  
"I would rather stay young and have lots of relationships, then do the whole "let's grow old together" routine," Paige told them. Piper pretended to be offended, then laughed.  
  
"You don't mean relationSHIPS, you mean relations," Phoebe teased, much to Piper's dismay.  
  
"I don't need to hear this," Piper muttered, eliciting a laugh from Paige.  
  
"And there's something wrong with this because....?," Paige wondered.   
  
"EW! Paige, seriously!," Piper protested loudly, desperately trying not to get mental images. Paige giggled, and Phoebe joined her.   
  
"Alright, back to the original point," Paige relented, "I don't want to get married, and probably never will."  
  
"I think Glenn is already planning the wedding, Paige," Phoebe joked. Paige sobered and Piper sent Phoebe a glowering look. Phoebe arched her eyebrows in the innocent 'What'd I do' look.  
  
"Look, Glenn is a friend. You just...don't date your friends," Paige explained, growing tired of the subject.  
  
"Because dating strangers is a superior idea," Piper commented softly. Paige glared at her, the sisterly mood completely shatterered.  
  
"Drop it guys," she spat and stormed out of the kitchen. Piper and Phoebe looked at each other and sighed.  
  
"Should I..?," Phoebe started. Piper shook her head.  
  
"No, I'll go." 


	2. 2 down by 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed. wow, big shocker!  
  
AN: Thanks guys, for the great reviews! I hope this chapter pleases you as much the last one!  
  
Piper trudged up the stairs and down the hall, readying herself for the onslaught. Stopping at the door, she knocked gently, not expecting a positive reply. She wasn't disappointed.  
  
"Go away. I don't feel like chatting right now," Paige called, rolling her eyes. She assumed it was Phoebe, wanting to apologize. Sighing, she flipped onto her stomach and tucked a pillow under her chin. Another knock sounded and she threw another pillow at the door. "I said I don't want to talk!," she repeated angrily.  
  
"That's too bad sis," Piper answered, opening the door, "'Cause I do." Paige glared at her, furious. Piper just smiled sweetly and sat on the edge of the bed while Paige moved as far away as possible. "Mature," Piper muttered under her breath. Paige gave her a sarcastic, questioning look, to which Piper shook her head, indicating she wasn't going to reiterate her words.  
  
"Paige, you can't just run off and lock yourself in your room every time we have a disagreement," Piper told her, "We aren't teenagers anymore."  
  
"Maybe I want to act like a teenager," Paige protested childishly, receiving a grimace from her sister. Paige needed to be throttled! At times like these, she would be happy to apply for the job. "I don't see what the big deal is. I'm sick of talking about Glenn, and I don't see how any of it is your business anyway! He's my problem," she continued, sending a pointed look at Piper.  
  
"Fine, Paige, if you want to sit up here and sulk like a child, don't let me disturb you," Piper responded with some semblance of calm, "I'll stay out of 'your business." Paige watched Piper's retreating back and felt a stab of guilt, followed by a wave of it. Great. Piper had only been trying to help after all, she hadn't needed to insult her. Pride and a little bit of anger kept her from following her sister, although she was sorely tempted to do just that.  
  
"How'd it go?," Phoebe asked, glancing up. From the look on Piper's face, not too well. Phoebe watched her sister pace the floor a few times, then sit down angrily.  
  
"Sometimes she makes me want to hurt her," Piper ranted, "I went up there to check on her and she told me to that her problems were none of my business! Can you believe that?" Phoebe raised her eyebrows, unused to seeing Piper in such a frenzy.  
  
"She's just upset, Piper," Phoebe soothed, "Maybe I should try." Piper glared at her, but felt her anger dying down as quick as it had come.  
  
"Yeah. You guys have always gotten along better anyway," Piper agreed, feeling a twinge of jealousy. Phoebe patted her hand, causing Piper to have the sudden urge to bite her, then left the kitchen.  
  
Paige listened to the footsteps coming closer to her room and groaned. Did they not understand her insistence that she didn't want to TALK? Her door banged open and Phoebe stalked in. Giving her a disgusted look, Paige sat up and crossed her arms.  
  
"Try knocking," she suggested sarcastically "Usually helps to ease a little hostility." Phoebe was not amused. If Paige was going to blow off Piper's caring-older-sister routine, then she would try a different tactic. Something she liked to call pissed off.  
  
"Save your comments, Paige," Phoebe spat, "I'm only here to tell you that I don't appreciate you treating Piper like a damn nuisance, especially when she was there to help you. So drop the attitude. It doesn't work with me, I've used it before." Paige stared at her, a little surprised by the sudden show of anger. It didn't take long, though, for her temper to match Phoebe's.  
  
"I am not going to go through the ridiculous Brady Bunch act," Paige answered hotly, "This isn't a television show. In real life, people don't talk things out and then suddenly, everything gets magically better."  
  
"You know Paige, it might be good for you to think about what you say," Phoebe suggested in an acid tone, "One of these days you're going to realize how nice it is to have someone to talk to." With that, Phoebe spun on her heel and left Paige to simmer. This was just perfect. That was the second person to turn their back on her today, and it was no one's fault but her own.   
  
"Great goin' Paige," she mumbled to herself and buried her head in her pillow. What a day. She checked her clock and saw that it was only 8:00. She'd managed to make both of her sisters mad before noon. Now, that was a task. All over Glenn, at that. What was wrong with her? He was a friend, nothing more, nothing less, but...when she thought about him, her heart jumped and she got butterflies in her stomach. That wasn't a normal reaction to a guy that was just a friend. Then again, it wasn't a normal relationship. They'd been friends their whole lives, so of course she felt something about him. Not love in the marriage sense, love in the been-friends-for-years sense. Right? Right. She hoped so. Otherwise, she was in for a lot of headaches. Besides all that, he would never think of her that way! Even if she did, he wouldn't. She didn't much feel like getting her heart broken.  
  
"Paige," she scolded herself, "Stop thinking about it. You'll give yourself a migraine."  
  
"You know," Phoebe commented to Piper, "I don't see why she doesn't tell him how she feels. We both knows he feels the same way, and it would make things go a lot smoother around here." Piper nodded, but her mind was somewhere else.  
  
"She's afraid," she whispered, half to herself, "She's afraid of what would happen." Phoebe glanced at her and cocked her head.  
  
"How do you know?," she questioned, looking doubtful.  
  
"I did it, too," Piper answered thoughtfully, "I did it, too..." 


	3. Ding Dong

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed. Wow, big shocker!  
  
AN: Sorry it's been so long since my last update...a little writer's block on both mine and my sister's part. It's better now...I think.  
  
Paige nearly screamed in frustration when she heard footsteps yet again. Holding her breath, she listened as they came closer, paused, and finally retreated again. She ignored the slight feeling of disappointment in the pit of her stomach and crawled off of her bed. It was Saturday, no work, and she had absolutely nothing to do. Normally, she would be thrilled with her lack of a schedule. Normally, she would use the day for beauty sleep. Normally, she would hang out with her sisters and enjoy them. Today was obviously not normal. Paige craved some kind of social interaction, or at least a chance to use her already overworked vocal chords.  
  
"Paige, you need a life," she told herself with a frustrated sigh.  
  
"Phoebe, you need a life!," Piper told her sister emphatically. Phoebe gasped, over-exaggerating an insulted look. Piper laughed and shook her head, amused with her sister's performance.  
  
"I have a life," she replied, glaring, "A perfect one at that. It just happens to be on a long break right now!" Piper chuckled, then poured the rest of her coffee into the sink.  
  
"We should create a set of rules for in the morning," Piper muttered, "Rule Number 1, Paige cannot under ANY circumstances make the coffee."  
  
"I second that motion," Phoebe agreed emphatically. Before Piper could continue with her list of regulations, the doorbell rang. The sound echoed through the Manor, reaching Paige upstairs. Paige's eyebrows knit together as she tried to guess at who would be visiting this early in the morning. A sneaking suspicion crept into her mind, but she pushed it away. There was simply no way her life could be that predictable.  
  
Phoebe and Piper both made for the door. It wasn't customary for anyone to ring the doorbell at eight o'clock in the morning. Well, unless it was Darryl or some delivery boy, their doorbell wasn't used at all. Usually, their "visitor" was a demon who liked to come crashing through the door. Phoebe reached the front door first and threw it open. Glenn was standing uncertainly in front of her, his hand still poised over the small button.  
  
"Hey Glenn," she greeted warmly, tugging his arm until he walked in. Glenn smiled and glanced behind her to where Piper was standing.  
  
"Hi, is Paige home?," he asked Piper, trying his best to ignore Phoebe, who was grinning stupidly at him. Piper shot her a look, then glanced back at Glenn.  
  
"She is," she told him, "I'll jsut go get her." Glenn nodded appreciatively, but his expression changed when he realized he would be left alone with Phoebe. For some odd reason, Paige's older sister was staring at him as though she wanted to eat him alive. Well, it was either that or ask him a million annoying questions. Right now, he would prefer being mistaken for a meal. Piper noticed his hesitant look and dragged Phoebe along with her upstairs.  
  
"Phoebe, can you try not to be so obvious," she hissed as they made their way down the hall. Phoebe was about to ask what she had done, but Piper knocked curtly on Paige's door, stopping any further conversation.  
  
"What?," came the reply and Piper raised her eyebrows, clearly ready for another fight.  
  
"Glenn's here," Phoebe answered, cutting Piper off. A groan was heard from the other side and then the door flew open.  
  
"Great," she muttered, stalking past them. Her life really was that predictable. Inwardly, she couldn't have been more pleased, but if her sisters thought she was going to openly admit excitement, then they both had another thing coming. Piper and Phoebe trailed her downstairs, exchanging surprised looks.  
  
Paige's heart sped up and she silently reprimanded it. "It's jsut Glenn, nothing to get all...," she thought, but when she saw him her mind went blank. Forcing a pleasant smile onto her face, she walked up to him. She struggled to stay at a normal pace and prayed he wouldn't notice her strange behavior.  
  
"Hey, want to go do something?," he greeted. Paige nodded.  
  
"Sure, I don't have any other plans," she told him. Glenn smiled and Paige struggled not giggle girlishly. Piper and Phoebe were taking note of her questionable reactions, so Paige hurried her exit.  
  
"Come on, we can go have breakfast," she told him, dragging him behind her as she ploughed through the door. As she left, she thought she heard the distinct sound of laughter. Sighing, she continued to walk down the sidewalk, then halted.  
  
"You car or mine?," she demanded.  
  
Piper and Phoebe glanced at each other and burst out laughing as they watched their youngest sister practically run out of the Manor, taking a confused Glenn along with her.   
  
"She's got it bad," Phoebe said knowingly, still laughing. Piper murmured her agreement.  
  
"The look he had on his face when she walked in tells me she isn't the only one," Piper mused aloud.   
  
"So," Phoebe began, "What do you want to do today?" Smiling, Piper thought about the question.  
  
"Well, we need some more Wicca supplies....," she said thoughtfully. Phoebe made a disgusted face.  
  
"Ooooh, how fun! And after that, can we have our spring cleaning session early?," Phoebe asked with feigned excitement. Piper laughed and rolled her eyes playfully.  
  
"Fine, what do you suggest we do?," she countered. Phoebe pretended to think.  
  
"I suggest we shop," she said a few seconds later. Piper groaned good-naturedly. She'd expected Phoebe's answer. As much as she liked shopping, she was getting fairly sick of going every free moment the two, and most of the time three, of them had.  
  
"Alright, but only if we can stop by the shop to get some supplies," Piper relented, but Phoebe had dashed up the stairs the moment she had seen Piper would agree. Shaking her head, Piper trailed Phoebe up the stairs at a saner pace. 


End file.
